The Second Crystal
by VanG Ziggy ZA
Summary: Just as Jen and Kira think that their lives will live forever in peace, a dark dream warns them of an even greater evil than the Skeksis, and orders them to protect yet another Crystal.


Ziggy's Corner: This is the second Dark Crystal Story.

THE SECOND CRYSTAL

Jen began tossing and turning as visions ransacked his restless mind. It was almost like dream fasting, but there were no other Gelflings that he knew of there to hold his hand. And of course he was deep asleep, at night, with Kira three halls down from his own room. The young hero of Mithra bit his lips and pressed his hands to his dark brown hair as the images and different voices swarmed all around him.

He saw horrible images of war, creatures that were far more evil than the Skeksis could only hope to be, a race of beings that looked a little like Gelfling, a second race that looked like the first race, but were obviously hostile to the first for some reason, a cave, underwater. He could hear women screaming and towers of diamond and emerald collapsing all around a road made of pure red stones. His heart began to beat, and as he watched he saw a shadowy figure lead the demons and the second race into the city, where a massive dark cloud rose overhead.

There was something wrong about that cloud, he'd seen storm clouds before, because of his master he knew by what names they were called, and had taken pleasure in teaching Kira them, along with other things he had learned. But the cloud seemed _alive_ and more malevolent than anything the planet had ever seen. Somehow it was connected to the general of the demons, whom he could still not see, but he wasn't sure how.

Then to his horror he turned and glared at the small and broken body of Kira, her long blonde hair clinging to her face in a puddle of mud and her blood. Her eyes and lips were both open, as if ready to let out a scream of fear, but never got the chance. Stuck in her abdomen; a shimmering blade of green jewel that seemed to soak up her blood.

Jen shook his head in disbelief, and rushed over to her, trying to tear the jewel from her body. When that failed, he lifted up her head, and begged her to answer him – soft, hot tears running down his cheeks. "No," he wailed. He felt his body tremble like a volcano, and then heard the sound of an animal screeching in grief, only to realize that the sound came from his own parched throat.

Behind him he could hear the hoarse laughter of something incredibly evil. Jen felt his lips twist into a vengeful snarl and swung on his heels, somehow holding a sword of gold and silver that he had never seen before. "I'll kill you," he howled at the image, surprised at the rage in his voice.

"That is why what has been done, has been done," it taunted him quizzically. Jen felt his eyes widen and screeched inhumanly, flinging himself at the image.

Swinging the blade like an avenging angel, trying to swat away the darkness of sin, Jen felt his legs buckle under him, and kept howling against the taunting laughter, cursing each time he missed. Finally the image turned and disappeared into darkness, against the protests of Jen.

The Gelfling felt his chest rise and fall, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to drop to the ground. "What is this?" he asked in despair.

"A future," a familiar, comforting voice said from behind him. Jen snapped to attention and twisted to look at the voice, feeling his jaw drop as his master stood before him, wearing a very familiar grin. "I am sorry it brought you so much grief, Gelfling, but it was something that you had to see."

"Why?" Jen walked to his master, not believing his senses. _Master said that we might met in the next world, am I dead then?_

"You have many years left before you, Gelfling," his gentle master chuckled, waving him over too him. "Like dream fasting, you have just experienced another realm, a dream realm that shows us all that there was, all that there is, and all that ever will be."

"Master, no, I can't believe the future has that in store for Kira and me, not after all we've been through," Jen tried to kneel before his master and friend as in times before the whole madness of the Dark Crystal had happened, but the elderly Ur-ru would not allow it.

"I said it was _a_ future, Jen," he said, his voice growing stronger, much younger and full of power. "I did not say it was _the_ future, or _your_ future. It is but one of a group of hay stacks that the farmer has laid into his barn to harvest."

Jen shook his head, it didn't really make sense. "But then, why was I made to watch it?"

"Because it is one of the larger hay stacks, and growing with each day," his master said. "Gelfling, the crystal is calling and must be protected; it must be saved from the shadows."

"Master, I healed the crystal already, and –," Jen began.

"Not the Crystal of Trust, Jen, though it might be in danger as well if your dream comes true. I am talking about the Crystal of Hope."

"Another crystal!" Jen took several steps back and blinked. "I have to heal another one?"

"It does not need to be healed, just guarded from the shadows, Jen," slowly his master's voice began to grow weaker, more elderly. "You must travel to the Hills of Dimio, to the largest river, near the borders of the land, but the ocean. There you will find new friends, who will help you, but remember, as the light brightens, so you will find greater amounts of shadows."

Jen frowned, another quest? But who would guard this crystal, and what about Kira? Jen did not want to take her along if it meant she would die.

"She knows about it, and is already packing," his master said, seemingly reading his mind. "You must take her along if you are to succeed."

"But she could die!" he snapped at the elderly mage. "I won't risk losing her."

His master frowned and rose to his full height, his stronger, more youthful voice returning, "I already told you that was one, of many possibilities," his voice boomed. "It isn't the necessarily the only one. And she has also been allowed to see this sight, and while she argued, she knew what had to be done, she has agreed."

Jen began stroking his temples. It had been a year since the Skeksis had been beat. It had been a year since peace had returned, and now it could all crumble down beneath their feet?

"In her vision, it is _you_ who are killed, and _she_ is the one wielding the sword," his master said soothingly. As if something like that could be taken soothingly. Like you she feared the hate and anger in her voice, but she is willing to do what is necessary to protect the planet."

"Can you at least tell me who it is we are fighting against this time?" Jen asked, his voice edging on hopefulness. His master sadly shook his head.

"I've tried to make contact with the enemy, but his mind is too powerful, even with the aide of my brother Urskeks, there would be no opening the door to his mind."

Jen shuddered and looked at the fading image of his mentor. There was someone more powerful than the Urskeks? There was a villain more evil than the Skeksis out there? Jen found himself trying to ask his master to stay, to answer the other questions he had, but there was nothing but blackness.

_I have taught you all that I can, it is up to you now to learn what you can, do what you must for our world._

Jen woke up and sat up in his bed as if someone had poked him with a needle, and looked around his room. Sweat poured down his face and he swallowed, slipping out of bed and dressed himself. Once he got his heart beat down to a normal pace, he opened his door, and walked down to the main hall.

When he reached it, Jen opened its doors, and saw that Kira, along with Fizzgig, and Aughra were waiting for him. He looked at them and sadly smiled at his young girlfriend, who was petting her lion dog. "So, it wasn't just a dream after all, I see."

Kira sadly smiled back at him and shook her head. "I was really hoping to see you come bounding in here, asking what there was to eat like normal," she said with a sad chuckle. She looked down at Fizzgig and up at her boyfriend. "Jen, if you don't want to do this, we can stay here."

Jen swallowed and looked over at the ancient astrologer who sat in one of the old rickety chairs. "What do you know of a second crystal?"

"Always thought it was a bunch of silly superstitious nonsense, if you ask me, but then again what do I know?" She pulled a withered hand and stroked her long gray hair and gave off a dry chuckle. "But then, what does Aughra really know? Thought all of the Gelflings were dead, and here the two of you are." Her one eye gave off a dark playful twinkle and she rose to her feet, pointing a staff at Jen. "Not that it was all good omens, for Aughra when you walked into her home, eh?"

Jen smirked and brushed his brown hair away. The Skeksis' battle guards, the Garthim, destroyed Aughra's home hours after he had entered, looking for the Crystal shard. They had burned it to the ground, and taken her to the Skeksis, where Kira had freed her the next day. Jen and Kira had offered to let the astrologer stay with them, but she declined, preferring solitude to the company of others. She had rebuilt her home only last month, and now here she was again.

"You just can't let an old woman rest in peace, can you Gelfling," she teased in Jen and Kira's own language. He chuckled and shrugged, which caused Aughra to give off her own smirk. "Besides, staying here while you two run off to play hero will give Aughra a chance to study the library here, and learn more about what happened in this castle, one thousand years ago.

Aughra was old, older than what most things had a right to be, but the astrologer had earned that right. She had visited the castle a millennia ago when was a very young woman during the reign of Urskeks, and had taken one of them as an apprentice. When the crystal was cracked, she – temporarily that was – had two apprentices; both who heeded her lectures with so much attention that their fellow Ur-Rus and Skeksis had teased them of being puppy dogs. But the longer the crystal split, the more darkness entered into the Skeksis' hearts, and in the end, Skek-Tek betrayed her and his Ur-Ru self, Ur-Yod.

She had read certain documents during the reign of peace, and the early years of the split, but as darkness entered the land, she had to flee to exile. She had no idea what kinds of things had gone on since her absence, and yearned to see what had truly gone on. When Jen's master appeared to her in a dream, and told her he needed her help, he couldn't have possibly have known that she meant to pay a visit to the Gelflings anyway. Now she could make it an extended visit.

"I've taken the liberty of packing some things for you too," Kira said to Jen, handing him a bag of things. "We can wait for you to pack what else you need, and then have breakfast before leaving."

After they had dined, or rather wolfed down their food, the two Gelflings, along with the small ball of fluff that was their lion-dog, said their goodbyes to Aughra and left the castle for an adventure that neither of them would soon forget.


End file.
